Over the past few weeks, the music video for South Korean rapper PSY‘s latest release, ‘Gangnam Style‘ has garnered attention from across the world for its humourous take on a Gangnam love story. The first version of the video (see below) went viral since its release having now attracted over 40 million hits with foreign netizens praising the video for its fresh approach to pop. A second version featuring 4minute‘s Hyuna as PSY’s love interest was released less than a week ago and has received over 11 million views to date. koreaBANG has included a translation of the lyrics below.

Lyrics:

Oppa does it Gangnam style
Gangnam style

In the day, she’s a girl who’s warm and tender
A classy girl, who takes time to have a coffee
Then when night comes, her heart grows hotter
The kind of girl who has it all

‘Cos I’m a guy
The kind of guy who’s as warm as you in the day
A guy who shots his coffee before it cools
Then when night comes, I’m a guy whose heart explodes
That kind of guy

She looks innocent, but this girl knows how to play
The kind of girl, who lets her hair down when she wants to
She covers up, but she’s still sexier than those who flaunt it
That kind of girl who’s sensual

‘Cos I’m a guy,
Who might seem calm but knows how to play
The kind of guy, who when the time comes goes crazy
A guy whose ideas bulge, more than his muscles
That kind of guy.

But amidst all this, a controversy has emerged in which PSY’s unmistakeable style has been taken as an example of Japanese pop rather than Korean pop, leading Korean netizens to accuse Japanese netizens of ‘cyber aggression’ and ‘anti-Korean sentiment.’ In short, it seems that the video’s international success has become yet another outlet for the recent, ongoing tensions between Japan and Korea over the Dokdo/Takeshima issue.

PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’ is a Japanese song?…Surprising ‘international controversy’.

‘Japan is a country that makes amazing pop’, ‘A really cool Japanese song’, ‘This is exactly why I love Japanese music’.

It has received attention on CNN, in the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times, and has even been praised on French TV. It is the song that has been parodied as ‘Gundam Style’, and been parodied by every place in the whole of Korea all making their own ‘XX Style’. PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’, which even firmly held its influence during the 2012 London Olympics, has surprisingly fanned the flames of an international debate.

In the mere four weeks since it was uploaded, it has exceeded 26,670,000 clicks according to the number of hits on YouTube. This is the number of views of the music video of ‘Gangnam Style’, a song from PSY’s album ‘6甲’. This time PSY, who has clearly become a representative of the ‘Ssanti’ culture, has suddenly been crowned as the front runner of a fierce’B-class sentiment’. The overseas reaction to the music video has indeed been warm. The video, which has been hailed by leading foreign media outlets as ‘a music video you have to see’ has been revived as ‘Gangnam Style’ parodies by foreigners, and furthermore even videos of foreigners laughing uncontrollably as they enjoy the music in real-time have become a talking point. The fact that ‘Foreign reactions to PSY’ has been ranking on internet portal sites for several days is an unprecedented response.

One step removed from K-pop culture, which often involves idol groups, PSY, armed with an implicit toxicity and sense of freshness, and taking his cues from ‘American Pie’ style sexuality, is moving away from being part of what is what is a niche market.

If we are talking about foreign fans, who have been conditioned by a form of K-pop which is as cute and delicate as a doll, then there might be some discord between the two, but PSY’s music video has had a tremendous response from many foreigners. Even the comments on the music video are considerable; those on the video that was made public exceed 114 500 comments.

Amongst these there are comments that stand out. Indeed, there is the reaction that ‘Gangnam Style’ is being recognised as a Japanese song.

There are a considerable number of these. First, a netizen writing under the ID fred**** says: ‘Japan makes great pop’, while a netizen writing under the name of Tom**** left a comment in English saying, ‘Funky Japanese music’. Having no idea about PSY’s nationality, they unconditionally think that this is J-pop. There was even a netizen whose reaction was ‘This is precisely the reason why I love Japanese pop. It’s really unique and unconventional(lazer****)’and who compliments Japanese culture.

For those overseas netizens who perceive ‘Gangnam Style’ as Japanese music, there are other netizens who clearly state that, ‘It’s not a Japanese song, it’s a Korean song,’ but this situation has incited a suprising controversy.

One netizen, cost*****, says,’This Japanese music video is amazing. I like Japan and Japanese singers. There are no excellent singers like this one in Korea, they’re just jealous. This is a Japanese song. And that’s the end of it,’ ridiculing the response that insists it is a Korean song. Among them, kaky**** responded sarcastically, saying ‘I’ve lived in Seoul my whole life and I can guarantee that this is a Japanese song; they don’t have the money to make a song like this in Korea’

To this same situation, another netizen, itach**** observed the situation, saying ‘Seems like you don’t want to accept the fact itself that Korea could make such amazing music’ while another netizen reacted that it was odd, saying’Oppa is clearly speaking Korean, since when has that been Japanese?(xche***)’

The comments, captured through an online community site (Instiz), show that Korean netizens are saying things like ‘Japanese people who are hiding their nationality are leaving malicious comments as part of anti-Korean sentiments on YouTube,’ and ‘This is cyber-agression from Japan’ and while it might bring speculation with regards to the’international controversy’, they were also taken aback: ‘Foreigners still think that if Asians are not Chinese then they must be Japanese. This is changing with the spread of K-pop, but it is an absurd state of affairs.’

On the other hand, PSY, who is being glorified through ‘Gangnam Style’ as having his’second golden age,’ will invade the archipelago [Japan] at the end of September with this song. Initially, the song was to be changed and released as ‘Roppongi Style’, but now he’s decided that the Japanese version will use the unique atmosphere that ‘Gangnam Style’ has, as well as the place name.

Fucking Japs, sons of bitches, aren’t you going to sink to the bottom of the sea…Fuckers

damek:

Japanese kids are strategically leaving comments like ‘This is a Japanese song’…So that European/North American kids just recognise it as a Japanese song without thinking….What’s more, they report K-pop videos, which are really popular, as being a violation of copyright until they get taken down. If it’s someone who’s only just participating in fandom, then we all know how annoying the Japanese are organising on YouTube…I’ve even seen a screen capture where they plan things really well on far-right websites and attack. Filthy Japs.

integrity:

There is a lot of K-pop out there, right? ^^ K-pop fans will make it clear for you~ What does Japan have recently?ke ke It’s so ‘6甲’ [PSY’s new album] ke ke

노블티럼블:

K-pop fans on YouTube are explaining it and the far-right wing fucking Japs are struggling with the little man power they have.

늴리리맘보:

They’re persisting about Dokdo too…but no matter how much they persist, both Dokdo and PSY belong to Korea.

saiba：

Fucking Japs are so pathetic.

mjh1207:

Just what I’d expect of the Japs…Virtuoso composers…

세르난도:

The monkeys'[derogatory term for Japanese] bullshit hasn’t finished yet shudder

웃자웃자:

Ah, I don’t have any anti-Japanese sentiment toward Japan, but recently even in Gaksital [Korean drama about Japanese Colonial Era] you see Japanese scum, so if they also make ‘Gangnam Style’ theirs, I’ll go mental.

우악크크:

Are you right in the head?? Can’t you tell the difference between Korean and Japanese?? Can you tell the difference between Russian and French?? Like, what the hell is this situation? ke ke ke

빽꼼:

Have a good look at the [netizen] IDs. They’ve been made to look like netizen IDs from our country, but they’re just made similar to the IDs from our country in the way that the fucking Japs’d pronounce it ke ke ke Foreigner people must all know that this is a Korean song. Even foreigners know that the Japanese freaks are all dog-shit ke ke ke I’m glad the Jap bastards are pretending to decieve people. I like that they’ve completely taken the bait.

Never려둬:

The fact that jealousy is often mentioned is something that has happened in every generation. Particularly when we were rising as a new power, it was all the more so. It’s because they feel a sense of crisis that they’re like that, so we don’t have to pay any attention.

런던보이:

Fucking Japs have an explosion of inferiority complexes…the whole place is certifiably mental ke ke ke

gwailnala:

The people who say that it’s a Japanese song are just freaks. Nothing more and nothing less ke ke ke ke ke ke

동우야:

Shut up [in Japanese] fucking Japs

서일:

PSY is Korea’s PSY…The thing that’s for sure is that PSY is a Korean, he’s even been to the Korean army twice…. ke ke ke

ja0425:

Fucking Japs can’t even pronounce ‘Gangnam’

드라간:

Like foreigners don’t know that it’s a Korean song. The comments that differ and say it’s a Japanese song are all written by Japanese people. That’s all it is. Simply by uploading something related to Korea, they really persistently put comments that are belittling or mocking. All those things that mock or ridicule Koreans that are on YouTube, and even the videos, are for the most part uploaded by the Japanese and Taiwanese and the number of them beggars belief ,,,

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바나나

yall look chinese to me
LOL JK

Digitalsoju

Dumb conspiracy. In actuality I’m sure it’s some non-Japanese people trolling because they know they’ll get a reaction from Koreans.

미대협

I know right? Korean netizens who have commented on those threads, consider yourselves TROLLED.

Phil

The “9gag pride” comment makes me 100% sure that this is just trolling. It seems to have worked very well. Almost as effective as the time that the Koreans attacked Pearl Harbor.

Dray

Koreans netizens aren’t the only ones who got trolled. The bloggers here at koreabang got trolled as well. Look at the post introducing the Korea Herald piece stating:

“controversy has emerged in which PSY’s unmistakeable style has been taken as an example of Japanese pop rather than Korean pop”

There’s no CONTROVERSY, anyone with a brain understands immediately that it’s 9gag/4chan trollers and countertrollers who constitute the entirety of the “controversy.” Yes some of the more easily riled Koreans got confused but how about the admins of this site who even with the plain trolling still were confused as to where the “pro-Korea” comments were coming from on the video.

Then admins of this website write a hysterically unaware op ed for the Koreatimes linking Gangnam Style to Korean nationalism and Dokto lol. Read their editorial, they’re completely oblivious where the trolling ends and the nationalism begins. The very fact that the people arguing that it’s Korea on that video aren’t even Korean, but are kids trolling from America isn’t that obtuse is it? The Koreabang staff living in a bubble in Korea, while claiming to track trends are completely oblivious to major trends in the rest of the world: reddit, 9gag, 4chan, tumblr etc etc and how those kids use the internet.

I just have to say that I don’t know why James keeps deleting this harmless comment but it probably speaks to the editorial integrity of this very site. Being the “authoritative perspective” for all the things Koreans do wrong is quite the white man’s burden isn’t it? especially when none of us are perfect.

Deleting for CONTENT instead of abuse, especially something as trivial as this, seems anathema to everything this site purports to be about… it doesn’t seem that hard to say “we translate the Korean news but there’s a lot of stuff we don’t know either and sometimes we write silly things”?

Funny thing, Korean netizens think that Japanese are the ones that are trolling them. Totally clueless. Japanese don’t give a shit about Dokdo, Gangnam Style or whatever Koreans think of them.

lilli75

That clearly does not explain everything. If all those netizens attacking us Korean aren’t Japanese, then who are they? If they’re not Japanese why would all those millions of non-Japanese go out of their way to support Japan?

Brett Sanbon

I think its more along the lines of “not all of them were Japanese”. Why? My guess is its because they knew Koreans would take it to heart. Just so we are clear here, I dont think all were in support of Japan as much as they were trolling Koreans.

미대협

As an addition to your post, I wanna clarify what trolling is: the art of the troll is to bait people into an argument and subsequently continue to antagonize them until they do/say something they will regret, or that embarrasses them. By this definition, Korean netizens have been trolled… HARD.

Dray

how old a dude are you? you are out of touch

do you even know what 9gag and 4chan are?

they pick a popular video, Justin Beiber or Carly Rae Jepsen and pick a random thing to troll.

it has nothing to do with “Koreans would take it to heart”

seriously all you no social skill losers go to Korea, don’t have a clue about the US or your native countries then think you’re big social instigators.

you’re no better than the Koreans who see conspiracy. your entire worldview is about how Koreans are defensive or this or that.

these are KIDS. trolling. they dont give a shit about your hangups on Korea, nor are their actions an AFFIRMATION of your bigotry. both the kids saying it’s Japan and the kids saying its Korea are not, for the most part, from Asia. they are mostly AMERICAN and CANADIAN kids, plus a few kids from SA and Europe who can speak english.

a kid literally posts “hey lets go troll a video and say X” and they all do it. they don’t know Korea from Nigeria.

just lol

Brett Sanbon

Dray, its foolish to think that you have the absolute answer to who the trolls were and who the responders were by simply referencing 4chan and 9gag. You think the only people who troll for fun come from those sites?

As for the ad hominem, I think you just made clear your own age.

Brett Sanbon

Also, a though just suddenly occurred… If the Koreans didnt “take it to heart” (btw when I wrote that, all I meant was “they knew they could get a reaction out of the Koreans) why did thid end up in the Korean news?

Dr Dust Cell

Actually Brett, Dray got it right. There were a good number of threads in /b/, not to mention /v/ (gundam parody) about this video. That alone is a good indicator of how many trolls from other sites such as SA, 9gag, hell even ED, etc… would flood the video comment section.

I dont disagree that those kids flooded the posts. Do you really think there were 0 Koreans or Korean-Americans posting in the flaming wars? IT MADE KOREAN NEWS for goodness sakes.

Shawna

I heard about the fake ID thing. Seems kind of petty. I wonder if people will start holding up signs that say, “Gangnam Style is Korea’s!!”.

Shawna

Actually, what’s more embarrassing are the majority of K-pop fans. I thoroughly regret looking at any Youtube comments, ever.

asdf

Well now they know how the Chinese feel when they claim that Confucius was Korean.

Brett Sanbon

Stop trolling.

Ray

Gundam Style!

hun

Hate this fucking song. The trollers did a fine job tho. Just mention Japanese to Koreans and they go batshit crazy.

TK

I swear Korean netizens are the dumbest ever. Why are all the comments directed toward Japan and Japanese? It is mind blowing that Korean netizens don’t realize that the people who think the song is Japanese are NOT Japanese. They are foreigners outside of Japan and China. Japanese wouldn’t be trolling boards claiming a Korean song is their own. Japanese don’t even give a shit about Gangnam style, Dokdo or whatever Koreans think of them.

TK

I meant to say outside of Japan and Korea.

Markus

so pathetic, i don’t think the Japanese are even saying its from Japan, its just a mistake made by foreigners.

Either way it doesn’t matter THAT much.
Going ape sh!t writing insults about the Japanese, The Koreans really know how to lose face for Korea…

Such a shame.

Both China and Korea become stupid when talking about issues to do with Japan, i understand the history but sometimes the comments are uncalled for or just bullsh1t.

Chucky3176

I know Japanese and they will never claim anything something Korean as Japanese, that’s absurd. It’s just some ignorant foreigners who think any Asian is either Chinese or Japanese, and nothing outside of that.

Brett Sanbon

Maybe they weren’t ignorant. Maybe they knew exactly how Koreans would react to them calling the music Japanese or J-pop. They were just trolling. Unfortunately, the Korean netizens and those on Youtube couldn’t figure that out.

Chucky3176

Some were probably trolling, but for most people outside of Korea who see this for the first time, they may believe the trolling efforts, or really think it’s Japanese. All the major US media seems to have a story on this right now, and it’s not exaggerating. Here’s another one from Bloomberg.

I just went to Youtube to read the comments and the people calling it Japanese are actually really funny.

A: “I’ve studied japanese for a long time and i can’t understand a word the’re﻿ saying. This must be some hardcore underground japanese slang. Japan really is a hard language to master. ”
B: “ITS KOREAN YOU DUMB MOTHERFUCKER﻿ これが日本語だよ アホが”
A: “No, i don’t think so, it is clearly some hardcore underground japanese﻿ slang. Japanese is such a deep and profound language, it takes centuries to master it completely.”
B: “are you stupid or are﻿ you stupid?”
A: “You sir are a﻿ troll, and i refuse to be trolled on such a great japanese song and video.”
…
A: “In korean accent maybe, but this is clearly some kind of japanese underground slang. I﻿ know it’s Korean, i was just trolling.XD”

Zappa Frank

ahahah… Japan’s funboys are really something.

Chucky3176

It’s the Youtube, you never know who’s really Korean or Japanese or Chinese, or someone who is all of them. Neither can you tell the intelligence level or their age groups. But what’s indisputable though is the fact that unlike the disorganized Koreans and Chinese, the Japanese right wing groups are very highly organized in the Youtube. They literally spend 24X7 uploading thousands of anti-Korean Youtube videos per day. This one, you can’t fault the Japanese for, but so much trolling the Japanese right wing groups have done is making people jump to premature conclusions.

Ruaraidh

I honestly just think that people purposely get worked up over these things. It’s an addiction to outrage, anything to stave off the terrible ennui of modern existence.

No one is forced to watch an anti-Korean Youtube video, unless you actively search them out you’re unlikely to encounter one. Should someone stumble upon one by chance, they can always make the radical decision not to watch it. Yet, despite this people do watch, and get worked up over, those sorts of videos.

Stories of butts

There’s always going to be an anti-*insert any country* video so its really not something to get your panties in a bunch about. You cant cry over every particle of spilled milk my friend, else you come off as a crybaby.

Anonton

What the hell is wrong with both the Koreans and the Japs with all these stupid fights. Yes they have reasons to resent each other in the past (well more Korean to Japan) but come on they have nothing to fight about now!

random_korean_netizen

You know, Japanese did ‘things’ to Koreans! I don’t know what kind of ‘things’ exactly but I’d like to cut Japanese flags in Gaksital-style jumping from a three storey building right now! I’m so mad! And Dokdo is our territory!!!

Gabrielle

“Foreigner people must all know that this is a Korean song.”

Whoa, really overestimating the basic level of geography and foreign languages of western people.

FYIADragoon

As if the Japs could produce a singer this ugly. Gundam Style > Gangnam Style.

Brett Sanbon

Your comments are always so boring… so predictable

FYIADragoon

Its as if they’re bothering you or something? Maybe I’m trying to evoke a response from you? Wow, why would I do that?

mr. wiener

Because you want to strike up conversations with men in smart suits in bars ,but are still a liiiiittle shy?
Don’t worry coming out is a gradual process , you are a beautiful butterfly :)

Brett Sanbon

I definitely laughed at this wiener

Brett Sanbon

No no no little crab rangoon. You arent bothering me. Its just that everytime I see your moniker, I know pretty much already know what the text will be below. You act like I didnt know you were a troll since 3 years ago on chinaSMACK…

Like I said, you are boring. Thats more bothering than your trolling.

k

Brett, I think your profile pic looks like Matt Damon from the side :)

Brett Sanbon

Is that good? It may just be the lighting considering I dont think Ive ever been told I look like a celebrity (except by natives while living in China and Korea :P). Anyways, thanks a lot.

참을 수 없는 존재의 가벼움

Competition for western recognition.

Interestingly enough, the online argument over who composed the song “Gangnam style” suggests many Asians, especially Koreans and Japanese, attach great importance to western recognition.

Of course there is a refutation saying that it is just a mere argument. Otherwise, some may say the west is the birthplace of modern pop, so it is a good thing to garner recognition from there.

But, what is unsaid is that as a result of the westernization, the western culture carries the day in Asian countries. Many are exposed to and accustomed to American pops, so putting them before traditional music. In such a perception, a sense of inferiority exists whether it is subconcious or not, so any positive response for a song or a music band from the US, or Europe will thrill the Asian country of the origin. That explains why so many Koreans are proud of the nascent craze for Korean pop culture among European countries, and mass media have made frenzied reports about it, though the popluarity there is not remarkable than known.

The online row surrounding the song’s attribution reveals that contrary to general belief that culture is a cross-boundary phonemenon that can be shared among all people, acceptance and recognition of other popular cultures differ in accordance with historical experiences and collective memory about the past.

This website views the online row between Koreans and Japanes netizens as a continuation of the latest territorial dispute between Seoul and Tokyo.

But some think, me included, western people’s applaud on PSY’s song that can be seen as expressed putting them in a higher position, is possessed of a kind of Orientalism. And many Koreans are unknowingly contributing to the spread of the perception that the west is superior to Asia.

Koreans need to feel satisfied about its own pop culture, irrespective of other countries’ recoginition, based on the perception that culture thrives when people enjoy it to their heart, and attempt to gain recognition from others reflect a sense of inferiority.

runningduckyliciousrub

it is imbibed in korea’s DNA and culture to gain approval from a greater country. to be the sort of “best friend” “second best”. this is shown greatly by the relationship between “the middle kingdom” and joseon korea in the sino world order. This is why Korea remained loyal to the qing dynasty because they wanted to preserve the “classical confucian values” instead of the barbaric western culture that the “war-like wae-nom del (japanese)” adopted. Korea also played this role during the ” Il’jae shi dae or the period of japanese colonializastion” they were the “second best” in the Japanese empire and they were the second most industrialized country in Asia during that time after Japan of course. Now the tides of history have changed and the middle of the 20th century began by american domination. American idealism emphasized independence and democracy, truisms we americans take for granted but something revolutionary in Korea. This sort of made the relationship between korea and america awkward because koreans never experienced a relationship like the KORUS ever before. However you see that Korea has become an economic power, thanks to US aid, technology, stability, and also it has become a vibrant democracy. I would even venture to say that this psy video was inspired by earlier trends in the US music industry like LMFAO “party rock” and “im sexy and I know it”. I wouldnt be surprised because 20 years ago the kpop industry was non-existent and koreans were jamming to aerosmith and acdc and american pop. So Korea is effectively becoming westernized yes. Japan and China are going through similar effects of american hegemony. But of course there is anguish and struggle to keep the “korean” essence. whatever that may be.

Thus koreans always put themselves on a standard of the greater countries. You often hear koreans say,”this is not unique to our country” as if to justify a phenomenon. If an advanced country does the same thing, then we must be on the same track. This goes deeper in the culture of korea. Americans always had a religious/puritan background that emphasized being ruled by conscious or morality and thus brought out a greater emphasis on liberalism and self-reliance that traces its roots to the reformation in germany. Koreans on the other hand have more authoritarian roots. Individuals not being guided by a moral conscience but by other nations or by the class hierarchy above them. i know im being very general but hey im not writing a scholarly journal so excuse the broad brushes of painting korean culture. Koreans justify this by saying creating a “minjok ideology” or the ideology of the people. They view themselves as a sacred han people and the highest authority they adhere to are the people and the state. thus you see the cultural underpinnings of the emphasis on conformity as they seem to build their lives on what other people think of them.

I understand that what im doing is orientalism. painting korea from a westerners point of view. But everyone has a perspective and im just sharing mine.

But it is korea’s fate to be linked to a bigger country. and i think the KORUS tie is a sacred one that is not yet ready to be severed. American culture is the most preferred of russia, japan, and china. precisely because it has a very idealistic beliefs. and plus to be frank, america and the west really did do a lot to change the world for the better. Hell they created the whole modern world. All the best universities are there and usually the best and brightest and the smartest and most talented people and the most authoritative experts are all in the west. Which was a product of 600 years of modernism. Koreans are very envious and they are like agent smith in the matrix, some hate korea and want to leave. THe civilizational magnitudinal force of the west is felt very greatly in korea , and being in the periphery, koreans have a hard time facing up to it as they feel like outsiders.

However Korea is becoming stronger and stronger and asia with it while the west seems to be declining. Perhaps koreas position in the world will only rise from here.

runningduckyliciousrub

about the agent smith comment ,”during the 60’s and 70’s and 80’s and a less so in the 90’s the korean government had to block koreans from leaving their own country. even when the UN charter said that people are free to move wherever they please. (this is what SK is arguing against china for NK refugees, but SK did the same to its citizens). Korea was a real mess back then, but thanks to dictator park and his secret police,, he kept things in line…

Peter

How long have you been living in Korea?

runningduckyliciousrub

sorry but i dont want to disclose any private information online. But I can tell you that I have lived in korea and still do today.

runningduckyliciousrub

down the rabbit hole…

Sojubang

No offense to the song, I think its well produced and done by PSY actually. But, I think to the general population of “the west” this in general is more of an oddity than a knowing worship of Korean Pop music. Its viral because people see it as something very unusual and funny. Most are probably not interested in delving deep into who made the song and even translation of the lyrics. I mean even things like NyanCat (which coincidently comes from someone combining a Japanese song with a gif) etc can have millions of views but they make no sense whatsoever, doesn’t mean people are now worshiping Japan over it.

PSYs song can be funny for those who understand Korean, the beat is quite catchy and the video is hilarious and surreal. But probably for the most part its an oddity and funny thing for the majority of viral viewers who are from outside Korea, it probably won’t get them to buy PSYs album or infact become a hardcore K-pop fan.

“It has received attention on CNN, in the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times, and has even been praised on French TV.”
I dunno why so many Korea news outlets are buzzing every time a Korean celebrity gets a mere mention on US television/news or other countries? Yet they don’t seem (as far as I know) to be interested when Korean-Americans act in a Hollywood movies?

Peter

exactly, it’s just a weird novelty. Who’s asian and famous in the west for weird things? The Japanese, hence the confusion.

The fact a proportion of Koreans have got so worked up about it is a bigger story for me than the song.

Hokit

“I dunno why so many Korea news outlets are buzzing every time a Korean celebrity gets a mere mention on US television/news or other countries? Yet they don’t seem (as far as I know) to be interested when Korean-Americans act in a Hollywood movies?”

How else would they convince themselves that Korean pop culture is almighty and revered around the world? (…sorry – it was difficult to even type that with a straight face.)

I agree with “oddity” being the big drawcard, rather than amazement at the “awesomeness” of K-Pop. You brought up an interesting point about the Korean-American actors. Perhaps the minor roles they often play and the general lack of interest from American audiences might explain why the Korean media pays little attention to them? I’m positive if a Korean American made it onto the A-list, he/she would be on the front cover of every Korean media outlet.

runningduckyliciousrub

just by looking at the above comments and now you know the intensity of xenophobia in Korea. it truly is number 1 in the world in this aspect.

runningduckyliciousrub

the true face of korea. minus a few people…

runningduckyliciousrub

koreans think they have a moral right to be vicious and cruel especially online. but two wrongs don’t make a right.

Brett Sanbon

I though that Christians who judged others get judged in the end. Not looking too good for you guys, is it?

runningduckyliciousrub

@Brett
yeah…well

Hokit

Wow, the reactions never cease to amuse. This time it’s just a mere music video that got a lot of Koreans going nationalist ape shit at the Japanese. Yet another example of how easily they can be baited. And LOL at the comments about the Japanese being behind all this. Conspiracy fairy tales featuring Japan as the protagonist is to be expected.

Stories of butts

Proud of my country to see a serious international trolling take place.

Random Person

People who thought this was Japanese DESPITE the Korean text in the description box of the music video makes me want to slap somebdoy. Ignorance everywhere. Especially the “fans” of Japanese pop who insist they know what Japanese sounds like.

lilli75

WTF Why cant they just LEAVE US ALONE?????

Do they seriously wanna start a war or what?!!

Before they start taking claims on anything they should search up on their own history first -.-

lilli75

The two countries have been biting at each other for like eternity it’s really really annoying.. Sometime in the future someone’s gotta offer their hand of apology first but by the looks of it…no way is that happening in centuries…
It’s like watching two kids fighting over a room full of toys with no supervisor…

Brett Sanbon

I think you are being a little too harsh on the Japanese. Ive been paying attention to both sides now and it almost seems like the Koreans are the aggressors moreso than the Japanese. Watching the news here (in Korea), its like every night we hear reports about Dokdo and there are specials about Dokdo and all the newspapers have pictures of Dokdo on the covers.

I get it. Its important to you and for understandable reasons. However, I agree with what some other posters have written recently: “if Koreans keep this up, other countries will support the Japanese out of spite for turning this into an ‘international crisis'”.

lilli75

I see what you mean… Yeah I also think there’s a fault in Koreans getting all worked up and stuff… when I said I found the two countries’ fight annoying I mean both- Japan AND Korea. I do stand my ground on the opinion that Japan is trying to take claim on what’s rightfully ours- which I can’t really help since that’s how I feel and believe.
But at the same time I do believe that Koreans are not always doing the right thing. Attacking Japanese netizens online at every possible oportunity for one thing. Now I’m not very bright on politics so I can’t understand every little factor that prevents the two countries from reconciling, but one thing I believe is that the two really needs to put down their guns and sincerely apologize…
I also think that getting the people in Japan get proper education about their country’s history would really help. Coz one of the big reasons korean netizens get all worked up about is the fact the Japanese government is trying to glorify their past and teach their people wrong history, rather than to face the facts and help prevent dark history repeat itself…

Okay now I lost track of what I’m talking about… sorry…I tend to babble~ /:P

lilli75

Now I can’t be sure whether all those people claiming ‘gangnam style’ as J-pop are Japanese or not, and if they’re not, I’d say they’re a bunch stupid people who doesn’t even know how to do a simple google search. I mean, IT’S KOREAN AND IT’S OFFICIAL!! JUST LOOK IT UP PEOPLE!! And if they ARE Japanese conspirators after all I just wanna say “Boo YOU SUCK! Get a life already geez”

poktanju

This Japanese J-pop youtube song pretending to be Korean was a great marketing coup

.

It’s funny trolling the Koreans and how they’re so insecure about their nationality.

Brandon

Japanese always does that, nothing to feel surprised about actually.

Cleo

look what growing up in Japan did to Beat Takeshi – it’s like Horde versus Alliance within the same bloodline

hardyandtiny

The singer looks Japanese.

Cleo

The object of his affection does NOT. Look at those Korean Girl Band legs!

Haha!

Cleo

Nellie Furtado named after Nellie Kim covered this in her concert and added her Portuguese rhythm making the dance PRETTIER. That’s salt in the blood as they say in Latin.

And France is enjoying this video as well.

Japan is just dumb enough to resent this but they are accurate in thinking that this video’s international popularity does matter.

Go ahead and keep pushing the Comfort Women denial and REPEAT the offensive claim that Koreans and the Japanese are the same.

So what?

This is not the tragic time of Queen Min’s Corea. People all around the world know about Koreans, they’ve seen them on the football pitch, they may have patronized Kroean businesses or watched a Korean drama.

Most importanly, they can tell that the Koreans are totally different from the Japanese in spirit. No one is worried that the Koreans want to do S&M (minus the “M”) things to their neighbors’ children. No one thinks the Koreans are unsafe to be around. Neither Corea nor China would jeopardize business for their struggling countries if they didn’t see the red light in Japanese eyes. The menace is getting closer and that is why we look worried and YOU look confident and aggressive and too relaxed. You must really think we can’t get up if you unload your plutonium surplus on the Mainland.

There’s been no sign that neither the Chinese nor the Americans can actually stop a missile, right? Maybe you snuck parts into Beijing or New York.

We’ll see.

But know that the Koreans are more likable than you are without even trying. People just don’t see them as abnormal and cruel no matter how many horror movies with Korean villains that South Korea puts out for international consumption.

No matter how many phony feel good CARTOONS come out of Japan, you are not trusted and nobody cares that the Western media is pretending that China is just causing trouble and the Koreans should just forgive and forget. They’re pretending because America has MONSTER on a leash and that leash is expiring with the lease on the Okinawa bases, right?

I wish the Americans had nuked you on 3-11 and there was hope for Asia that we would finally be free. The world would be free if the Americans had such capability.

Cleo

Notice how totally safe it feels seeing those bare legged Korean girls in the midst of Psy and other Korean men. We don’t get the feeling that those guys are going to hurt them or do anything to them. That is why there in the summertime, Beijing and Seoul girls were known to walk the streets safely in thin garments.

That is not the case in Japan or in cities under occupation by the Japanese. You cannot make a case that the Koreans are exactly like the Japanese. The audience will disagree.

h3ll

You should visit Europe in summertime,there are girls sunbathing even at public parks.
Plus japanese girls were the pioneers, in modern Asia, wearing miniskirts, If they feel so insecure dressing like this ,they wouldn´t.

ddd

this just shows that people aren’t as aware of korea as Japan.
also, lol butthurt koreans everywhere

Chantel

Lol this is dumb….it’s so obviously korean…..no need for controversy.

Seanshine

Just another way to wage war on the Japanese.. people say all sorts of crazy stuff in the comment section of YouTube videos. There was no reason for this to be hyped up. Koreans are kinda giving me an impression that theyre insecure. Just my opinion.

Seanshine

****also.. journalism just isnt what it used to be either. Anything makes the news and reporters these days can give biased opinions when reporting.

I am Japanese with many Korean friends and even I knew this was a Korean video, and it’s good. Personally I think the comments are gross for and against any race of Asians is extremely racist. No Japanese person with any respect would have made anti-Korean comments of this nature. And for those of you who made anti-Japanese or anti-Korean comments your ignorance is so overwhelming. Keep in mind that these sentiments are reminiscent of another group of small minded people in the US whose initials are KKK. Try to think larger than you are…please.

Cleo

Psy has the same mouth as DPRK-American John Cho from Harold and Kumar.

I honestly thought when i first heard this song till today that he was singing Gundam style. I knew it wasn’t Japanese from the get go though and thought he was singing something about them. I have heard the song many times and it sounds much more like Gundam style than it does Gangnam style. BTW Those of you who don’t know what a Gundam is then Google it. It is a very very long running series of shows featuring many different casts of characters in different situations spanning decades With only one major theme and that is the Giant Humanoid War Machines.
No Japanese bashing
No Korean bashing
just an honest misinterpretation of the lyrics from an Anime fan

Mapo tofu

This is a terrible song if I were Korean I would let Japan have the credit, or more accurately blame.

Jennster

LOL @ the comments

Danny

I’m South Korean, and frankly, Gangnam Style is a lame song compared to other Kpop songs. It’s a pity that Psy’s reached this amount of phenomenal success. Bigbang and 2ne1 has achieved many worldwide awards and milestones, but I wish they were the ones with the Psy’s success, not “Gangnam Style”. Also there are so many underappreciated underground hiphop groups and indie bands..